Thirty years ago, the Beastie Boys, U2, Rage Against the Machine, Björk, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, A Tribe Called Quest, and other major artists came together for nonviolence, freedom, and Tibet through the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. In this six-part audio documentary, concert co-founder Erin Potts tells how a small team of twenty-somethings helped build one of the largest concert series of the 1990s. With friends, artists, activists, and organizers who were part of the story, Erin looks back at how the concerts began, what they changed, and what their legacy offers today. This series is a Rangzen production produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco. To learn more about the concerts go to freedomneedsasoundtrack.com , and hear other podcasts distributed by KALW at kalw.org .
Episode 6: Just two weeks before President Clinton’s trip to China, the D.C. concert becomes the biggest and most consequential yet. After lightning injures concertgoers, the movement carries its message to the Capitol, Beijing and beyond. Erin and others look back on what it set in motion, and ahead to what the fight for freedom needs now. IN THIS EPISODE The 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert sells 122,000 tickets in 27 minutes. A lightning strike at RFK Stadium seriously injures concertgoers and forces organizers to end the first day early. The concert returns the following day with a renewed sense of purpose. Lhadon Tethong addresses 66,000 people and reflects on a new generation of Tibetan leadership. Musicians, activists, politicians, and thousands of young people rally at the U.S. Capitol before President Bill Clinton’s trip to China, where Clinton publicly calls for dialogue between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama. Ngawang Sangdrol is released after 11 years in prison and hears the Drapchi nuns’ freedom songs outside prison for the first time. Students for a Free Tibet takes nonviolent action to the Great Wall of China and the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay. Erin reflects on leaving the Milarepa Fund and the leadership that grew from the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. The episode honors Adam Yauch and considers his legacy as an artist, activist, and co-founder of the concerts. Erin, Deyden, Lhadon, and Sangdrol reflect on what the concerts changed and what Tibet’s continuing struggle for freedom requires today. VOICES IN THIS EPISODE In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack. Rebecca Rankin — Music journalist associated with MuchMusic (archival audio). John Norris – MTV News anchor (archival audio). Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers — musician and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts (archival audio). Deyden Tethong — Tibetan activist, producer, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack. Dr. Julian Orenstein — a medic who treated injured concertgoers at the DC Tibetan Freedom Concert (archival audio). Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund (archival audio). Lhadon Tethong — Tibetan activist and co-founder of Tibet Action Institute, former executive director of Students for a Free Tibet, and a speaker at the 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert. His Holiness the Dalai Lama — Tibetan spiritual leader and global advocate for nonviolence (archival audio). Thom Yorke, Radiohead — Singer and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts (archival audio). Josh Schrei – Part of the Milarepa Fund staff (archival audio). President Bill Clinton — 42nd President of the United States (archival audio). Ngawang Sangdrol — Former Tibetan Buddhist nun and political prisoner. Katty Kay, BBC World — journalist who reported on the 2008 uprising in Tibet (archival audio). Adam Horovitz, Beastie Boys — musician (archival audio). Michael Diamond, Beastie Boys — musician (archival audio). Wolf Blitzer, CNN — journalist and anchor (archival audio). LEARN MORE https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack Freedom Needs a Soundtrack is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Episode 5: The Tibetan Freedom Concerts head to New York, where the team faces slow ticket sales, city bureaucracy, and the pressure of turning one breakthrough concert into something bigger. But even as the concert nearly breaks them, U2’s surprise appearance fulfills Erin’s teenage promise and helps carry the movement toward Washington, D.C. Note: This episode includes a cuss word or two. IN THIS EPISODE After the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco, the team sets its sights on New York as the media capital of the world and a key step toward Washington, D.C. Deyden Tethong joins the Milarepa Fund as Education Coordinator, helping bring even more Tibetan voices into the work as the concerts grow. The New York concert proves much harder than San Francisco, with slow ticket sales, venue challenges, city bureaucracy, and pressure from police and promoters. At Randall’s Island, the concert brings together artists including Radiohead, Björk, Alanis Morissette, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Beastie Boys, and a surprise appearance by U2. U2’s appearance marks a full-circle moment for Erin, who once promised as a teenager that she would put on a concert for Tibet and U2 would play. New York nearly breaks the team, but it becomes a stepping stone toward Washington, D.C., where the concerts grow into an even larger cultural and political moment. With President Bill Clinton preparing to leave for China two weeks after the D.C. concert, the team sees an opportunity to bring Tibet directly into the national political conversation. Erin and Deyden describe plans for a rally at the U.S. Capitol calling for human rights in China and unconditional negotiations with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. VOICES IN THIS EPISODE In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Deyden Tethong — Tibetan activist, producer, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Rebecca Rankin — Music journalist and television host/correspondent associated with MuchMusic, heard through archival audio. Alanis Morissette — singer-songwriter and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Thom Yorke — Radiohead singer and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Björk — Artist who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. KRS-One Adam Yauch — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund, member of the Beastie Boys, heard through archival audio. Kurt Loder — Journalist, author, and longtime MTV News anchor who helped define music news coverage in the 1990s, heard through archival audio. Bono / U2 — Artist and performer heard through archival concert audio. Serena Altschul — Journalist and longtime MTV News correspondent, heard through archival audio. John M. Fahey — then president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, heard through archival audio. President Bill Clinton — 42nd President of the United States, heard through archival audio. LEARN MORE https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack Freedom Needs a Soundtrack is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in Partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Episode 4: After two years of near misses, Erin, Adam, and a young team of organizers finally bring the first Tibetan Freedom Concert to life, with one of the most talked-about lineups of the 1990s and a bold new model for turning music into action. Note: This episode includes discussion of torture, plus a cuss word or two. IN THIS EPISODE After years of failed attempts, Erin, Adam Yauch, the Milarepa Fund, Tibetan organizers, and volunteers bring the first Tibetan Freedom Concert to life. A tiny San Francisco office becomes the nerve center for one of the biggest benefit concerts of the 1990s. Adam announces the concert in D.C. — and suddenly it has to become real. Golden Gate Park fills with prayer flags, stupas, Tibetan musicians, monks, nuns, and 50,000 people a day. Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Björk, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Sonic Youth, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yoko Ono, and more come together for Tibet. Deyden Tethong remembers seeing Tibetan culture and 1990s music culture come together in a new way. Palden Gyatso speaks after escaping Tibet with the torture devices used against him. The next day, Erin, Adam, and others take the energy to a protest at the Chinese Consulate. The first Tibetan Freedom Concert becomes the biggest U.S. benefit concert since Live Aid — and proves this was only the beginning. VOICES IN THIS EPISODE In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Adam Yauch — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund, member of the Beastie Boys, heard through archival audio. Serena Altschul — Journalist and longtime MTV News correspondent, heard through archival audio. Kurt Loder — Journalist, author, and longtime MTV News anchor who helped define music news coverage in the 1990s, heard through archival audio. Rebecca Rankin — Music journalist and television host/correspondent associated with MuchMusic, heard through archival audio. Björk — Artist who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Yoko Ono — Artist, musician, peace activist, and longtime cultural figure known for her avant-garde work and activism, heard through archival audio. Tom Morello — Guitarist with Rage Against the Machine, who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, and activist. Deyden Tethong — Tibetan activist, producer, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . John Norris — Music journalist and longtime MTV News correspondent, heard through archival audio. Palden Gyatso — Buddhist monk who escaped imprisonment in China and spoke at the concert. Dave Grohl — Singer and guitarist with Foo Fighters, who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio. Biz Markie — Hip-hop artist who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio. LEARN MORE https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack This series is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Episode 3: After protest photos and freedom songs are smuggled out of Tibet, Erin returns home, where a dinner with Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys transforms what she witnessed into a new kind of action. Together, they begin imagining what music, culture, and activism could do for Tibet, leading Erin to attend Lollapalooza with the Beastie Boys and a group of Tibetan monks. Note: This episode includes discussion of torture, plus a cuss word or two. In this episode: Erin and Sam race to get the photos they took during the protests in Lhasa out of Tibet and into the hands of the international press. Ngawang Sangdrol describes life inside Drapchi Prison and how she and other Tibetan nuns secretly recorded songs of freedom on a smuggled cassette tape. Erin reflects on hearing the voices of imprisoned Tibetan women singing for freedom, and why those recordings carried a different kind of power. Adam Yauch receives Erin and Sam’s letter about what they witnessed in Tibet, opening a new path for his own activism. Erin and Adam begin imagining how music, culture, and action could come together for Tibet. The Milarepa Fund is born from Beastie Boys royalties and a shared belief in compassion, nonviolence, and the power of music. Tibetan monks join the Beastie Boys on Lollapalooza, bringing Tibetan culture and the message of freedom to thousands of young concertgoers. A dollar added to every Beastie Boys ticket becomes the seed money for the first Tibetan Freedom Concert. Voices in this episode: In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Adam Yauch — member of the Beastie Boys and co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, heard through archival audio. Ngawang Sangdrol — Former Tibetan Buddhist nun and political prisoner, first imprisoned at age 13 for peacefully calling for Tibetan independence. While in prison, she and other nuns secretly recorded songs of freedom that helped carry Tibet’s struggle to the outside world. Learn more https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack Freedom Needs a Soundtrack is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Episode 2: After studying Tibetan in Nepal and meeting Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys in Kathmandu, Erin Potts travels inside Tibet for the first time. In Lhasa, she and Sam Chapin leave their government-assigned tour, move into the Tibetan part of the city, and come face to face with life under Chinese occupation. When they witness a protest, tear gas, gunfire, and a violent police crackdown, they are left holding proof the world needs to see. Note: This episode includes discussion of a violent response to a peaceful protest, plus a cuss word or two. In This Episode The night Erin met MCA, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, at a party in Kathmandu, why she almost refused to talk to him, and how they ultimately became friends What it was like to travel inside Tibet under Chinese occupation in 1993, and how Erin and Sam ditched their government-assigned tour to make their way into the Tibetan part of Lhasa How Tibetans in Lhasa risked everything to speak with Westerners about freedom Witnessing a protest in Lhasa, then tear gas, gunfire, and a violent police crackdown How Erin and Sam secretly photographed the protest, evaded arrest, and hid the film The race to get the photos out of Tibet so the world could see what happened Voices in This Episode In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Sam Chapin — Erin’s longtime friend and early collaborator, who was with her in Nepal and Tibet, and when she first met Adam Yauch. Sam was involved in the first Tibet work with Adam and the Beastie Boys, including all of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Adam Yauch — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund, member of the Beastie Boys, heard through archival audio. Learn more https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack This series is a Rangzen production produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Episode 1: Before the Tibetan Freedom Concerts became one of the biggest shows of the 1990s, teenage Erin Potts dreamt of a concert for Tibet featuring her favorite band. Meanwhile, imprisoned Tibetan nun Nawang Sangdrol reveals what it meant to resist from inside Tibet. Their stories meet in the same place: the power of music. Note: This episode includes discussion of political imprisonment and torture, and a cuss word or two. In This Episode The Tibetan Freedom Concerts begin with a bold idea: a young activist, a musician, and a belief that music could move people to act. As a teenager, Erin discovers U2, Live Aid, and Amnesty International, and begins to see music as a force for justice. Through Amnesty, Erin learns about Tibetan nuns imprisoned for nonviolent protest and begins the path that will eventually lead her to co-found the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Ngawang Sangdrol shares how she became a nun, was arrested as a teenager, and sang freedom songs with other nuns inside Drapchi Prison. The episode ends with the power of freedom songs, and the idea that movements need courage, action, and joy. Voices in This Episode In order of appearance: Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Adam Yauch — Beastie Boys member and co-founder of the Milarepa Fund, heard through archival audio. Flea — Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Thom Yorke — Radiohead singer and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Björk — Artist and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio. Tom Morello — Musician and activist, best known as the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Biz Markie — Artist and performer at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio. Deyden Tethong — Tibetan activist, producer, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack . Dave Grohl / Foo Fighters — Artist and performers at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio. Bono / U2 — Artist and performer heard through archival concert audio. Ngawang Sangdrol — Former Tibetan Buddhist nun and political prisoner, first imprisoned at age 13 for peacefully calling for Tibetan independence. While in prison, she and other nuns secretly recorded songs of freedom that helped carry Tibet’s struggle to the outside world. Learn More https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack This series is a Rangzen production produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
Coming June 15, 2026, Freedom Needs a Soundtrack is a six-part audio documentary about the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, one of the largest concert series of the 1990s. The series traces how Erin Potts, who co-founded the concerts with Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, and a small team of twenty-somethings helped bring together artists including U2, Rage Against the Machine, Björk, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, A Tribe Called Quest, and others for Tibet. With friends, artists, and organizers who were part of the story, Erin looks back at how the concerts began, what they changed, and what their legacy offers today. Learn more at https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/ . This series is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.
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